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The Tomatometer is 60% or higher.

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The Tomatometer is 59% or lower.

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Director Kenneth Branagh's interpretation of Mary Shelley's classic horror novel stars Robert DeNiro as a terrifying monster created in an obsessive attempt to defeat death and stretch the limits of medicine in the early 19th century. With the use of flashback, a dying Dr. Viktor Frankenstein (Kenneth Branagh) divulges a tale of gruesome terror to a sea captain (Aidan Quinn): As a medical student, the rebellious Frankenstein elaborates on the work of a brilliant scientist (John Cleese), successfully bringing to life a "man" assembled from the body parts of corpses. Upon realizing the destructive consequences of his experiment, Dr. Frankenstein abandons the creature and attempts to return to a normal life with his medical partner, Henry (Tom Hulce), and his fiancée (and adopted sister), Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter). In the meantime, the nameless creature struggles with loneliness and rejection from society until he sets out to track down his creator in search of one of two things: a bride to keep him company or revenge. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) was produced by Francis Ford Coppola, who previously directed and produced monster-drama Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992).… More

Audience Reviews for Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Slightly better than 'Bram stokers Dracula' in the sense that its more sensible and realistic with less cheese haha De Niro is believeable as the monster and Brannagh is actually just right for 'Victor'. The rest of the cast much like Coppola's Dracula is pretty impressive and gives the film a real epic sense with the likes of Cleese, Holm, Carter, Quinn and Briers, the only difference is this film doesn't have any major let downs performance wise like Dracula does with Reeves and Ryder. Helena Bonham Carter is perfect in the film, she fits anything like this really, any dark period drama...she fits it haha.

The visuals are damn good with that cracking gothic feel of course, you get a really good sense of dirty, dusty creaking wooden floorboards set against age old science with lots of odd looking machines created by Frankenstein, rotten body parts and murky dark cemeteries, you can almost taste the sweat and dampness of it all hehe.

There isn't anything especially stunning here I must confess, its pretty bog standard despite having De Niro against type casting as the monster, by the numbers without anything to really make it a classic. Its better than Coppola's film casting wise that's for sure and makes abit more sense but there is nothing that really stands out. Hard choice if you put De Niro up against Oldman for best monster performance, I guess Oldman may take it but this film would win for everything else I reckon.

Not as visually stunning as Coppola's Dracula maybe but certainly more down to earth.

This adaptation by Kenneth Branagh is much like Coppola's version of Dracula, they are very close to the original works of their respective creators. Branagh's vision for the adaptation of the classic Horror work is superb. I read the book in my early teens, and still remember ii, it's one of those books you do not forget. By what I remember, Branagh kept [pretty much everything intact. The film has an old school monster atmosphere, but is modernized slightly. The cast do a fine job at bringing the classic characters to life and the story is chilling, creepy and has everything you'd expect from a classic horror film. Robert De Niro plays the monstrous creation created by Victor Frankenstein and Kenneth Branagh plays Victor Frankenstein, an ambitious young doctor who seeks to defeat death. Instead he unleashes a monster who is bent on ruining his life. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is an underrated horror film. Critiques of the film has been severely unfair and some downright dismissive. But this horror story is really a close adaptation of Shelly's work, and though not perfect, it does have enough momentum to terrify the audience as it tears across the screen. What you have here with Mary Shelly's Frankenstein is a good, underrated film based on one of the greatest horror tales of all time.

Alex roy

Super Reviewer

Sure, it's the most faithful adaptation of Mary Shelley's book to date, but when all it amounts to is constant breathless hysteria, why would you even want to tune in? Kenneth Branagh's grandiosity as a director has served him well in his Shakespeare adaptations, as well as more recent spectacle pictures like Thor, but in exploring a sad tale about what it means to be alive, or a man, he cranks the orchestra up to 11 and hopes for the best. Unsurprisingly, it does not work. The cast heaves and wails to the best of their ability, but any attempt at greater depth or subtlety is drowned out by the cracks of thunder and swells of stringed instruments. Robert de Niro is the lightning rod for all these histrionics, mugging and growling like his career depends on it. Branagh seems to have lost confidence in his material and tried to give it a universally appealing aesthetic, as if the audience wouldn't find anything to love in a period piece. Indeed, anything not related to Frankenstein's monster is chronically dull - a misguided romantic subplot, meant to end in tragedy but feeling entirely like a plot contrivance, or some half-heartedly explored daddy issues. It's a noble attempt, and good-natured, but at the end of it all I just felt sort of yelled at. Frankenstein is like a decent meal drowned in way, way too much ketchup.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Quotes

Sharp Featured Man:

I do know that for the sympathy of one living being, I would make peace with all. I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other.

Sharp Featured Man:

You gave me these emotions, but you didn't tell me how to use them. Now two people are dead because of us. Why?